Tales of Those Left Behind
by SonicCrazyGal
Summary: A series of one-shots featuring the other sonic characters in my Chaos Sonic series. Now up: Tails' Story.
1. Purity's Story

**Beginning of Purity**

Purity wasn't born, she wasn't made, but she wasn't a random occurrence either. She was formed by the Great Creator, just a little after her sister Corruption. While Purity was never a child in the way we understand, she was young and inexperienced. She and her sister were opposites by nature, and often argued and fought, but there were times when they could coexist and were happy. The Great Creator raised her and her sister, teaching them, showing them the many worlds (though there was less way back then), and telling them of their duties. The inhabitants of the worlds needed to learn and grow as well, for that they need to make decisions; for them to make decisions, there needed to be choices; and for there to be choices, there needed to be opposition in all things. Purity and Corruption were a part of that balance, speaking to their hearts and attempting to influence them one way or the other.

Purity saw her work as a duty and a natural need for the benefit of the worlds. Corruption saw it as a game, one that she might never win, but she could cause as much damage as possible. And with each new branch of the multiverse and each new world, the cycle would begin. Corruption would make tyrants and murders while Purity would help heroes and protectors rise to stop them. Over and over they went, across every world and throughout the ages. Each time the players were different, but the outcome was always the same, the light triumphs over darkness at least for a time.

Purity and Corruption, while the leaders of the conflict, were not alone in the fight. Others were chosen from the worlds to protect and watch over them, Guardians if you will, both for the light and the darks as well as those that were neutral. Purity loved visiting the Guardians of the different worlds, for they were the only ones she could truly interact with. For all her power, she could not directly intervene in the natural course of the worlds. She would help them and guide them in their duties. She cared for them; they were her family, her younger siblings.

But for all that, Purity was incredibly lonely as the ages passed. While she could visit the other Guardians, she could never stay. They had their worlds to watch after; she had to watch over every world, the entire multiverse. She spent most of her time alone, watching over the heart of the multiverse. While the Guardians could sympathize and comfort, they could never truly understand. Her sister cared nothing for her plight, wrapped up too much in her game. Purity would often visit her older brothers, Life and Death, for advice. They were completely neutral in the conflict between light and dark and would often help give Purity some perspective on her life and duties. And like her, they were unique in watching over the entire multiverse. While they might choose representatives on the different worlds, they were the true guardians.

Things finally started to change for Purity when the Great Creator informed her of a prophecy. A hero named Sonic of the Mobius branch of the multiverse would join with his world's chaos emeralds and become her Guardian. He would help her in her duties of protecting the multiverse and she would no longer be alone. Though it was still a few hundred years before he would be born, Purity was excited. She had taken many forms in her time, mostly human, but now she favored that of a mobian hedgehog. She never neglected her duties to the multiverse, but she spent extra time and care watching over the mobian worlds. It took time, but she finally figured out which one her chosen was to come from.

She watched it constantly and celebrated the day her chosen was finally born. She watched over him, guided him, and visited him and his family a rare few times. She protected him when she could, but there were many times when she could not interfere. Then finally the time came for him to join with the emeralds and embrace his destiny.

But Sonic rejected her at first, and it hurt Purity more than she cared to admit. She tried to convince him, but things just kept spiraling out of control. With the help of his friends, she was finally able to help him accept his destiny and he joined her in her home. He had trouble adjusting at first, often requesting to see and visit his friends and running around the palace and its grounds. Purity was little more than a teacher and advisor to him at the time, but that slowly changed.

Over time, Sonic began to talk to her and get to know her. They would chat in-between his missions and adventures, nothing ever important just the simple act of enjoying each other's company. They began to joke and laugh together, they began to be friends. Of course, he never forgot his old friends and would still visit them regularly, but now he didn't avoid or ignore Purity like he used to.

Purity knew she would never have his heart, for that belong to another, but she was fine with it. She had a friend and a protector, someone who understood the importance and difficulties of her duties. Someone that would be by her side throughout the ages and across the worlds. She was no longer alone and that was all that mattered to her. She was happy.


	2. Tails' Story

**A Sidekick's Tail**

Tails had always looked up to Sonic. Even before they had met, Tails had worshiped Sonic as a hero. And when he had met Sonic, it had been a dream come true. Then Sonic surprised Tails even further by basically adopting him, taking him away from the island that hated him into a new life full of adventure and friendship. Sonic was his best, his family, his brother. Tails always did his best to help Sonic on his adventures. At first, Tails was little more than a tag along, someone Sonic had to protect. But as time passed, Tails got better and better at helping Sonic. He felt more comfortable in his ability as a hero, but he never imagined taking Sonic's place.

Sonic had battled against gods and won. He stopped Eggman time and time again, he never ran from a battle. Tails never thought he would ever be able to fill his shoes, he never even thought he had to. But then, he never thought Sonic would be gone either, off saving other worlds and maybe even the whole universe. Now Tails was left to take up his mantle, to be the hero the world needed so Sonic could be where he was needed.

Eggman didn't attack right away after Sonic left, having to recover from his latest defeat. But when he did, Tails went to face with the help of his friends. They managed to defeat him, though it was a lot harder without Sonic. Of course, Eggman didn't stay down forever and attacked again and again. Tails faced him every time, soon able to stand against him on his own.

Of course, it didn't take long for the citizens of the world to notice their favorite hero was missing. Theories and rumors spread like wildfire. The first rumor was that Sonic had gotten sick or perhaps had sustained some injure and had to recover. But as time passed and Sonic continued to fail to show at battles, many believed Sonic had died though a few guessed he had retired. Tails was questioned constantly on the whereabouts of his brother, but Tails would always reply the same. He would smile and say Sonic was where he was needed. He would never say more than that, no matter how mush he was pestered and soon people stopped asking altogether.

Tails would always do his best to keep the world safe in his brother's stead. Whenever Sonic came to visit, Tails would happily listen to Sonic's adventures as well as share his own. Though they no longer saw each other as much as they used to, they remained as close as ever. Sonic would always be a hero and Tails would always look up to him. Tails might now be a hero in his own right, but he would always think himself as a sidekick for his best friend and brother. And he wouldn't have it any other way.


	3. Knuckles' Story

**A Guardian's Duty, A Friend's Honor**

Knuckles had long since accepted that his life was to remain a lonely and isolated one. Being the only truly intelligent creature on his island in the sky, guarding the Master Emerald as was his duty, he fully expected to spend the remainder of his years with little to zero contact with the world down below. But then outsiders came crashing onto his island. The first, a large human claiming to be trying to protect the island. The others carried the seven Chaos Emeralds, and one bearing an incredibly strong connection to them.

Knuckles ended up siding with the first outsider, a little gullible when it came to other beings as well as a little jealous of the other's connection, though he would never admit it. So he attacked the others, taking the Chaos Emeralds back into his safe keeping. It was then that he got his first sight of Sonic and had to laugh at his stunned expression as he whisked the emeralds away. Knuckles felt a vindictive glee and striking against the one one who dared have such a strong connection to the gems he was destined to protect.

But the spiky blue intruder was persistent, slowly retrieving the gems and even unlocking their full potential. This had only served to make Knuckles more jealous and drove him to try and stop Sonic and every turn and eventually going head to head with him. But Sonic managed to defeat Knuckles and Eggman had taken advantage of his weakness to steal the very gem that was his duty to protect. Fully humbled, knuckles ended up helping Sonic and grudgingly trust him to retrieve the Master Emerald. To his surprise and reluctant gratitude, Sonic returned the Master Emerald to its rightful place.

He expected that to be the last he ever saw of the blue hedgehog, but he came back. Eggman hadn't returned and there was no threat, he just wanted to get to know Knuckles. Knuckles ignored his efforts at first, but Sonic was persistent and kept coming back. Eventually, Knuckles began to open up to him and even ventured off the island. He then left again, at first as part of his duty to the Master Emerald and then more often to visit. He meets teammates and even became friends with those that dwelt on the surface. Soon he was spending just as much time on the surface as he was on his island.

Knuckles would never admit it, even to himself, but he owed a lot to Sonic. Because of Sonic, Knuckles had friends and a much fuller and happier life then he was ever expecting to have. Then came the day where everything change. Sonic became bound to the Chaos Emeralds and left their world for a greater destiny. Knuckles' duty became even more important as the Master Emerald now served as Sonic's anchor to their world and the only way stay connected with him. Knuckles became even more vigilant, determined to keep the Master Emerald safe for his fiend. It was no longer just his duty, it was his honor. One he would serve to his last breath. For Knuckles was not just a guardian, he was a friend and he refused to let his friends down.


End file.
